Christmas After
by TLX
Summary: Christmas is a season for family, whether its joyous or otherwise. Written as part of the Teachers' Lounge Holiday Exchange for Coonassblondie by iwright.


They Apparated into the cold, guided by training and memories of home.

Ginny and Harry, Ron and Hermione, all took a moment to orient themselves under the crooked shadow of the Burrow. Even under ordinary circumstances Apparation could be disorienting, and these were not ordinary times.

"Remember the plan," said Harry. "Last in, first out."

"That still seems backwards," said Ron.

Harry smiled, a thin flash of white teeth in the snow-diffused afternoon light. "You've been spending too much time with the old men. 'No retreat, no surrender!' Fat lot of good it did them."

Hermione shuffled her feet and wrapped an arm around Ron. "We're all spending too much time out here. Let's go inside."

"Yes," said Ginny. She hugged her arms around herself, shivering in her green jumper and long dress. "Are we all ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," Ron muttered.

The four followed the path past the garage, up to the crooked house with the smoking chimneys. The Weasley family home glittered with red and gold baubles and patches of shining white snow. They stopped at the front door, hearing the murmer of conversation coming through.

"Did you talk to mum yesterday?" Ginny asked her brother. "What did she say?"

"I talked to her," Ron said. "I, er, I didn't mention the plan."

"Ron!" Hermione gave Ron a quick gentle shake. "What are we supposed to do now? Just leave unannounced halfway through?"

Ron hunched his shoulders. "I just, I couldn't. You didn't talk to her, Hermione. You know how important this is to her..."

Ron stopped, still hunched. He shrugged. "She has her own plan. And every time I tried to talk to her, she just kept talking. And she sounded so..."

There was quiet, broken only by the thin sounds coming through the door.

"I'll tell her," said Harry. "She still doesn't like blowing up at me."

This was the first Christmas After.

* * *

The Plan was simple. Christmas Eve drinks and company at the Burrow, then off to London for Chinese food. All four had hit the ground running after the War. Reforms at the Ministry. Hunting those Death Eaters who had fled the last battle. Testimony. Long battles with Dementors who were now beyond Ministry control. Training for their new roles even as they tried to carry their duties out under fire. All four wanted only to spend some time with friends and family, and then go home. All four were tired.

"I'm quite tired," said Andromeda Tonks. "And so is Teddy."

Harry held Teddy Tonks in both arms. The boy seemed twistier than the basilisk, and his hair was several angry shades of red. Harry wished he could fuss until someone took him away from the glittering tinsel and streamers and the blaring music from the wireless.

"Not like that, Harry." Andromeda guided Harry's arms to support Teddy's weight and brace his neck. Seemingly satisfied that the boy wouldn't fall out of Harry's grip, Andromeda turned to speak to Molly Weasley. "Molly, I'm sorry but I'll have to leave soon."

Molly _tch_ed her tongue and rescued Teddy from Harry's grasp. The fussing child settled down almost immediately in her arms, and his blobby angry features shifted into something closer to his normal chubby face. "Oh, I understand. There were years when Arthur and I just couldn't leave the house for more than a few hours."

Harry noticed Ginny standing over in a knot of family. Bill and Fleur seemed to be sharing some secret that made them both smile, while Charlie waved his arms and spoke rapidly to Ron. Ron simply nodded his head every few words, a trick Harry knew he had learned to deal with the old Aurors dragged out of retirement after the War. The old men were street monsters, pure and simple, and Hermione had convinced Shacklebolt to leave them in teaching positions rather than put them on the hunt again.

Ginny caught Harry's gaze with her own. She glanced at her mother, then back to Harry, and jerked her chin emphatically. Harry nodded.

Taking a breath, Harry turned to smile at Molly Weasley. "Molly, Ron and Ginny and I were thinking..."

"Just a moment, dear. Teddy seems to have settled down a bit, Andromeda. Are you sure you won't stay? It's been so long since Arthur and I had a full house."

The house seemed too full to Harry, who was developing a crick in his neck from trying to track where everyone was. War-habits and Auror training made the bubble of space around George Weasley stand out.

Andromeda Tonks was thanking Molly for all her help with Teddy, while taking the child back from her. For the life of him Harry couldn't see how it was physically possible for her to hold the squirming child, wrap him tightly in a blanket, and carry on a polite conversation at the same time.

"Of course," said Molly. "Arthur and I would love to take him again next weekend. Will you be staying for lunch on Saturday?"

"I believe so." The women hugged briefly, and Teddy squawked. Andromeda tucked the thoroughly swaddled Teddy in the crook of one arm and fished out her wand. At a quick swish of her wand Andromeda's wool wrap untangled itself from the coat-stand by the front door, accidentally swatting Percy Weasley in the face as it did, and then swooped across the room to settle around her shoulders. George stumbled against the couch, unbalanced from his attempted grab at the wrap.

Tucking an edge of the wrap around Teddy, Andromeda smiled again at Molly. "Thank you again, Molly. For everything. And please pass my thanks along to Arthur. Good night."

"Good night, Andromeda. And don't worry about a thing. Arthur and I love having Teddy about the house."

Andromeda Tonks made her way towards the kitchen and the Floo, saying her goodbyes as she passed the other guests. Arthur escorted her into the kitchen. Ginny Weasley caught Harry's eye again and made her way over to the two.

"Well?" She asked Harry.

"Haven't really had a chance," Harry said. He turned to Molly Weasley, who stood watching the kitchen door. She had a bright tight smile on her lips. "Molly," said Harry. "The three of us were thinking of -"

At the familiar whmph of the Floo Network, Molly Weasley's smile turned to teeth.

"Can you believe that woman? Honestly, who leaves early on Christmas Eve? And the first Christmas after, too."

The teeth vanished. The bright tight smile came back. "Now, who's for a nice game of snapdragon?"

* * *

"So how's the Office?" Harry asked Percy. It was the only thing he could think to say.

"Fine, fine. Very busy. Everything's a terrible mess after - You know."

Harry _uh-huh_ed. The two young men watched the room, sipping their drinks and not looking at one another. Percy briefly met Charlie's eyes across the crowd before both Weasleys quickly found more interesting things to look at.

"I hear training is going well," said Percy. "Ron's doing more active duties, isn't he? That's good. And you're... ?"

"Administrative training," said Harry. "I like spreadsheets. They're quiet."

"Good," said Percy. "Well that's - Good."

Harry cleared his throat. "I need to go talk with my fr- Ron and Hermione. Good talking to you, Percy."

"Yes. You too, Harry."

Harry made his way over to the little clump of people on the edge of the party. He passed George and Arthur along the way, and said hello to Arthur. George was too occupied with talking at his father to greet Harry.

Hermione and Ron stood close to one another, arms around waists. Ginny sat on the edge of the overstuffed armchair.

"Did you tell her yet?" Ginny asked Harry.

"Not yet," said Harry. He looked over at Molly Weasley, holding a serving tray of biscuits at Fleur and somehow managing to loom over the taller Fleur. Her daughter-in-law took several biscuits and smiled frantically at Molly.

"You tell her," Harry told Ron.

"What? She'll skin me. You tell her, you're her favourite."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you two. I'll tell her."

"Oh no," said Ginny. "She'll explode if you do. I'll tell her."

"She'll explode twice if you do," said Hermione.

"Yes," Said Ginny. "But I'm used to it."

George Weasley stumbled into the group. "Used to what?" He dropped an arm over Ron's shoulder, on the other side from Hermione.

"We're, ah, thinking of leaving a bit early. Just a little bit. Not all that early."

George laughed briefly. "Cowards," he muttered. He looked past the small group to Percy Weasley, standing by the coat-rack near the front door. "Not that it doesn't run in the family."

"Leave it, George." Said Ginny. "For one night, leave it."

Arm still draped around Ron's shoulder, George started to lean in closer to his sister. "What? Now I can't - "

Ron took half a step sideways, turning out from under George's arm. George stumbled and Harry caught him. "Easy George," said Ron. "Don't spill your drink."

George regained his balance. He glared at Harry and his brother, then muttered something under his breath and stomped off towards Charlie and Arthur.

"That's one crisis defused," said Ron in a too-cheerful voice. "Who knew Auror training would be so useful at a family dinner?" Hermione took Ron's hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

Harry leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Percy Weasley by the door, George, Charlie, and Arthur by the sideboard, Molly and Bill and Fleur by the wireless listening to Christmas music. That left the ghoul in the attic and possibly a few gnomes -

"You're not at work," said Ginny. "Stop trying to stare my family down."

"I'm not," said Harry. He uncrossed his arms. "I'm just thinking of how to tell your mum."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "How hard can you possibly make it out to be? She's not a dragon. We'll simply -"

"Percival Ignatius Weasley don't you _dare_!" Molly Weasley's voice rang out across the sitting room. Over by the coat-rack Percy Weasley froze in mid-action, coat in one hand and hat in the other.

"Hang that up right now, young man! This is our first chance for a quiet family Christmas in ages and. You. Will. Not. Sneak. Out!"

"Now Molly -" Began Arthur.

"Everyone join hands! We're playing Reverend Crawley's game now!"

* * *

"'Ello, 'Arry." Said Fleur.

"Sorry," muttered Harry. His right hand was in Ron's left and his left hand was in Ginny's right, and his arms were pulled tight across his chest. The human knot of joined hands and twisted poses left him too close to Fleur for his comfort.

"Oh, you 'ave nothing to be sorry for." Fleur said quietly. "Isn't that right, Ginny?"

Harry looked over at Ginny and thought her smile looked too much like Molly's. "Nothing at all," said Ginny. She convulsively squeezed Harry's hand.

"Harry, can you raise your arms above your head?" Ron asked.

"Ye- N- I'm not sure." He thought about his position. There was really only one obstacle to bringing his arms up, or two depending on how you wanted to look at them. This game made Harry's skin crawl, but Fleur just looked bored and resigned.

"Sorry," he said again. Fleur didn't even blink when he squeezed his arms up between the two. He had to hunch forward a bit to raise his arms above his head, bringing his face close to Fleur's. An inch away from a beautiful woman who smelled of spicy perfume and warm skin, he remembered a snake-faced man in a graveyard.

Harry decided he didn't like Reverend Crawley's game.

"All right," said Ron and Ginny at the same time. "I'm turning -"

"- Right."

"- Left."

"No wait," said Charlie Weasley, just as Harry felt their hands turning in his as they twisted. "You'll turn Percy -"

Someone said oof and stumbled. A body bumped into Harry's back and he released the hands in his grip to push Fleur away from him. A chain reaction of sliding bodies shoved Harry from all sides and he pushed again, forcing his way through the mass and tripping over Fleur as he went. Free of the crowd he stumbled up against the sideboard, banging his hip and rattling cups.

Sprawled on the floor, George Weasley laughed. "Merlin, Harry, I thought _I_ was drunk!"

"Shut it George!" Ginny pulled herself free of the tangle of Weasleys.

"What?! How is this my -"

"George, Ginny, both of you -"

"If she hadn't -"

The tangle untied itself into shouting redheads. Harry pushed himself into the corner and wished for someplace small and dark. Ron and Hermione broke free of the argument to stand a few feet from Harry.

"Let's go into the kitchen," said Hermione. They went along the walls, skirting around the yelling and crying.

"Sorry about this," said Ron. He lead Harry and Hermione into the relative calm of the kitchen. "It's only, mum wanted everything, you know -"

Harry sat down at the worn old wooden table. He watched while Ron blinked rapidly and struggled to get his face under control. Harry wondered if his own face was as flushed as Ron's, or pale. Hermione hugged Ron and rubbed his shoulders. The shouting in the sitting room started to die down.

Ginny Weasley stormed into the kitchen, brushing past Hermione and Ron. She dragged a chair out from under the table and sat down with a thump. "Percy ran out," she announced. Ginny grabbed Harry's hand and clasped it in hers. "We might as well go now."

"Not -" Ron cleared his throat twice. "I need to talk to mum and dad first. And George. It's important." He stepped away from Hermione and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "It'll only take a minute. You might as well wait here, it'll go quicker that way."

Hermione gave Ron one last hug and then came over to join Ginny and Harry. She leaned against the table and smiled at them. "It's just like Hanukkah with my cousins," she said. "Only with less alcohol and racism."

Ginny made a snorting noise that was almost a laugh. "Are we still going out for Chinese?"

Hermione looked at Harry. "Well?"

"I -" He licked his lips. "I just want to go home," he said quietly. Then he said, "This is why Shacklebolt put me on desk duty, isn't it?"

Hermione smiled. "Well yes. That, and you're bloody brilliant with personnel schedules."

* * *

It was dark now outside the Burrow, and snowing gently. The snowflakes hissed as the wind dragged them through bare trees. Ron and Hermione, Ginny and Harry stood outside listening to the snow.

"Mum just wanted everything to be normal too soon," said Ginny. "I guess we're not there yet."

Ron hugged his sister. "Not yet, but we're getting better."

"We're going to have to do something about George."

"I've been thinking about that," said Ron.

"You thinking? Since when?"

"Brat." Ron broke the hug and went back to Hermione. "I really have been, but we'll talk about that later."

Ginny turned to Harry. "Are you all right? After all that?"

There was quiet, and the soft hiss of snow. Finally Harry spoke

"I'm fine. So that was a normal family Christmas, was it?" Said Harry. "Are they all like that?"

There was quiet, and the soft hiss of snow. Finally Ron spoke.

"Nah," he said. "That was one of the good ones."


End file.
